Another Way
by LiseBardKimley
Summary: What if someone else had turned up to save Mon-El instead of using the pod?
1. Chapter 1

"Alex, tell me what to do!"

"There's nothing to do." Came Alex's reply.

Kara grasp for straws. "There has to be something. Please, Alex."

"Kara," Alex bit her lip. "I'm sorry."

Kara felt the remote in her hand crunch under the pressure of hand. "Come on, we have to get you out of here."

"Kara," Mon-El gasped. "It's - it's okay."

"No, no, it's not." Tears where threatening to fall. She blinked them back. There had to be another way.

"Kara!"

Both aliens looked up.

Kara's mouth fell open. "Barry! What are you-"

Barry, Cisco behind him, knelt down next to Mon-El. "What's wrong?"

"There's lead in the air," Kara choked out. "He's allergic. He - he doesn't have long."

"We'll take him back with us." Barry said. "He'll be safe there."

Kara didn't hesitate. "Go."

"K-Kara," Mon-El coughed roughly.

"Go, please, you'll be safe there." Kara helped him up, pressing something into his palm. "I love you."

"I - I love you." Mon-El hacked.

"Go!" Kara said.

Barry nodded and turned to Cisco who opened a portal with the three of them quickly stepped into.

Kara watched the portal swirl then close.

She collapsed.

* * *

Mon-El breathed in a deep breath of clean air as he stepped into Star Labs.

He glanced back at where the portal had been. He glanced down at his closed hand. He uncurled his fingers and saw the necklace Kara always wore around her neck. He griped it tightly.

He'd find his way back to her somehow.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:

I was not planning on continuing this story but here it is, another installment. I will be doing more, I just can't promise consistent updates due to my previous plans of not continuing (so, aka I don't have too much of a framework for this story - yet!) and just the craziness of life in general.

Thank you for all the reviews and stuff, I really appreciate them!

* * *

Kara woke up under the rays of the sun lamps in the DEO.

She groaned. She felt so sore.

"Hey,"

She turned to see Alex hovering near the bed.

"Hey," Kara greeted weakly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Worse than death." The heroine complained.

"What do you remember?" Her sister pressed gently.

Kara frowned a little. "Uh…fighting Kal, saving Cat…oh man, the president is a freaking alien!"

Alex laughed.

"Lena fixed a device to put lead in the air, I fought Rhea…" Kara gasped. "I pushed…I pushed the button - oh my gosh!"

"Whoa, hold up," Alex struggled to hold Kara down on the bed. "It's okay. That guy from the other earth came and got Mon-El, remember?"

Kara settled down a little. "What?"

"That guy, Harry the dash guy or whatever and-"

Kara laughed. "Barry, he's the Flash."

Alex waved a hand dismissively. "Harry, Barry, dash, Flash, whatever. He and this other guy came in a portal and got Mon-El."

Kara was quiet for a while, her brain processing the information. "He's on Earth 1 now," She breathed.

Alex nodded. "Yeah. By the way, how come we're Earth-38?"

Kara shrugged. "I dunno. What I do know is I'm _starving_ , what's for dinner? Or whatever meal is next?"

* * *

Mon-El was bored.

Sure, Earth-1 was somewhere new and unexplored but it didn't sound so appealing without Kara there too.

He sighed and looked back up at the sky. It was dark now and he should probably head back into STAR Labs soon. But for now, he just wanted to be here. Alone.

Barry and Cisco had brought him here a few hours ago. They'd introduced their team to him and Barry had offered Mon-El a place to stay. Through the whole thing, Mon-El had never let go of Kara's necklace. Right now, it was the only thing he had left of her - and Earth-38. (Mon-El had tried to convince Cisco to rename it Earth-Amazing or something cool like that, but the tech nerd had refused. Mon-El had pouted, though not as well as Kara could.)

Mon-El knew that Kara could visit him here, on Barry's earth, and he knew she would but he wanted to be with her on their earth.

The former prince of Daxam didn't know much about science or how lots of things on either earths worked (he was learning though), but what he did know was that he was not going to rest until he was back on Earth-38 with Kara and Winn and James and Alex and J'onn and everyone.

There just had to be a way.


	3. Chapter 3

Mon-El was lonely.

Earth-1 was great, Barry and his friends were great, Kara's visits were greater but…

It wasn't the same.

Every day when he woke up, he told himself that today was the day they would figure out a cure and he'd be able to step through that blue swirly portal back to Earth-38. Back to his home. Back to his family.

Just about every day, Winn and Alex (and, when her schedule allowed, Lena Luthor) came through the portal to work with Cisco, Caitlin, Julian, and Barry on the lead cure. Kara came too, when she could. Most days she couldn't; Snapper was being his usual bossy self and National City's crime rate was up at the moment; luckily alien problems were practically zero.

"So, how was Earth-1 today?" Kara asked. They were strolling down the street, ice creams in hand.

Mon-El shrugged. "Normal."

Kara pursed her lips, she could tell he was a little depressed. "How are you feeling?"

"As someone I know once put it, I'm feeling betwixt and between." Mon-El admitted.

"Ah," Kara sighed. "Well, we're all working on a cure. I'm sure it will be soon."

Mon-El nodded. "Yeah."

"Barry said you've been helping him and Wally sometimes," Kara said, trying to change the subject.

"Yep." The Daxamite smiled. "I think they like having a nearly indestructible alien on their side."

Kara laughed. "I'm sure."

Mon-El's phone rang. "Uh, yes, hello? Yeah. We're just getting some ice cream and - yeah, sure. Bye." He hung up and turned to Kara. "We need to get back to the lab, they think they have something."

* * *

"What do you have?" Kara asked the moment she and Mon-El speeded into one of the labs.

Alex took in the anxiety on her sister's face. "Hopefully a cure."

"What's the problem?" Kara sensed the tension in the room.

"Well, we don't have any real way to test it out. The biology of animals to Daxamite biology could have different effects than we anticipate." Caitlin explained. "So, in the chance that it's wrong…well…"

"It could leave you in an unknown state such as comatose or paralysis. It could possibly kill you," Lena said bluntly, looking Mon-El in the eyes. She didn't want to sound rude, she just hated it when people tried to beat around the bush.

Mon-El nodded. "I understand."

"Mon-El," Kara griped his hand.

Mon-El took half a step forward, fingers still entwined with Kara's. "Do it. Please."

Caitlin stepped forward, a syringe in hand. Mon-El sat in a chair, Kara standing beside him, everyone else hovering nearby. Winn brought a small red-sun solar lamp over and set it up over Mon-El's arm.

"I love you," Mon-El said.

Kara smiled weakly. "I love you too."

"Ready?" Caitlin asked.

Mon-El took a deep breath. "Ready as I'm going to be, right?"

Kara squeezed his hand.

Caitlin nodded and raised the needle. Positioning it over a blood vein, she pushed it in.

Everyone's eyes watched as the liquid in the barrel drained into Mon-El's bloodstream.

* * *

Kara had never liked needles. She didn't have to deal with them as much as everyone else (perks of having impenetrable skin) but she'd never liked them. Maybe it was because she couldn't help but think about tests and being tested on. She'd told Alex once, the night before Alex had headed off for college.

The older Danvers had told her that was a perfectly normal feeling and had promised that she'd always be there to protect Kara.

Now, watching the needle slip into Mon-El's arm…

Kara inhaled deeply, trying to keep her heartbeat steady. Seeing others in pain, especially those she loved, well that might be the worst kind of kryptonite.

* * *

For a moment, Mon-El felt nothing. Well, nothing out of the ordinary anyway.

He watched the syringe empty of its contents, felt Kara's hand tightening in his, heard the breathing of everyone in the room.

It started in his shoulder, several inches above where the needle had broken skin.

It was almost like a burning sensation under the skin. At first, it was only a little uncomfortable. Then, in an instant, it was white hot pain.

Mon-El screwed his eyes shut and bit back a cry of pain.

"Mon-El?" Kara's voice was panicked, scared.

"He's convulsing!" Someone said, Mon-El couldn't tell who. He couldn't hear anyone now or feel anything but the blinding pain that was creeping into every part of his body.

Winn was desperately trying to hold Kara back; the only reason he was having any effect at all was because she was conflicted between the urge to be with Mon-El and the knowledge that she'd only get in the way.

Barry, Julian, and Cisco were straining to keep the Daxamite in the car; Alex had Mon-El's head in her hands, struggling to keep his head and neck steady.

Caitlin and Lena was bent over a table, hurriedly looking over papers and mixing something.

"Caitlin, could you hurry up?" Cisco yelled, dodging Mon-El's flailing arm.

"More restraining, less talk, breacher boy," Lena snapped.

Alex smirked.

"Look at the Luthor," Barry laughed. "Giving Cisco a run for his nicknaming job."

"Oh nuh-uh," Cisco said. "I make the names around here."

"Can't stop me from naming you on my earth," Lena shot back, still absorbed with her work. She handed something to Caitlin who took it and did something with it, Barry couldn't tell from the angle he was standing at.

"Done!" Caitlin spun around and just about rammed the syringe into Mon-El's arm.

A moment later, Mon-El went limp, eyes closed.

"We need to monitor him," Lena instructed.

"Hey," Winn turned Kara so she was facing him. "You okay?"

Kara tore her eyes away from watching Barry and Julian get Mon-El on a bed.

"It's gonna be alright, they'll figure it out," Winn pulled his friend into a tight embrace.

Kara relaxed into the hold. "Yeah."


	4. Chapter 4

Mon-El was in a kind of coma.

He was healthy, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with him, he was just…in a coma.

Alex and Kara had brought over a few sunlamps which were now surrounding Mon-El's bed, along with the other machines that were monitoring his vitals.

Caitlin, Lena, and Alex were working hard to figure out a new cure but it was slow going. Looking at the Daxamite's vitals, they concluded that the first mixture had done something to his cells but they weren't sure if it was working for the positive or the negative. In a way, they were back to square one.

Kara had thrown herself into her Supergirl duties and at all other times, she had a pencil behind her ear and a notebook nearby. Winn had expected her to be visiting Mon-El at every free moment but instead, the blonde Kryptonian seemed to be keeping her distance.

On top of her work on the new cure and her CEO hours, Lena was working with Winn to study Lex's formerly-Kryptonite-now-lead releasing machine, both hoping to find something that could help.

Days passed with no success. Caitlin and Alex brainstormed dozens of ideas but none of them worked.

Weeks rolled by, their labors proved unfruitful. Barry was putting in his two cents on the matter but it didn't help much. Felicity and Ray chipped in as well but to no avail.

Months dragged by with no real differences. Everyone was starting to lose hope. Even the ever optimistic Kara seemed ready to call it off.

"On the bright side, we know what won't work," Winn tried for a smile.

"I'll record it for further reference," Lena said dryly. They were in one of L-Corp's many labs, Lex's box in front of them, papers and tools littered the work space.

"I don't think-"

Winn's comment was cut off as a blue portal opened in the corner of the room. A second later, Barry appeared. "Where's Kara?"

"Um, I think she's working on an article for the Turtle." Winn answered, using his own nickname for Snapper ("You know, like a snapping turtle?").

"Do they have anything?" Lena asked.

Barry sighed. "They were pretty hopeful."

Lena picked up her phone and shot Kara a simple text.

Lena: Barry's here.

"When did they figure it out?" Winn was fidgeting nervously.

"Two hours ago," Barry said. "They've been debating on whether to test it out and what Mon-El's reaction may be to it and I helped them whip a machine that mimicked the lead device."

"Barry?" Kara speed in, Lena's and Winn's papers from their observations on Lex's machine flew off in every direction. "What going on? Is everything okay?"

"Whoa!" Barry took a step back. It looked like Kara hadn't slept in days (which she might not have) and there was a smudge of ink across her forehead that he though wise not to ask about.

Kara frowned. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing," The speedster shook his head. "You just…uh, you have…I mean, are you…you know what never mind. I was just-"

"Barry!" Lena felt only slightly tempted to wring the man's neck. "You're almost as bad as Kara" ("Hey!" Kara pouted) "Get to the point already!"

"Yeah, right, sorry, I'll do that. Uh, they might have a cure."

"When are they going to test it out?" Kara asked.

"Um, well…" Barry looked down at his watch. "They injected him about forty minutes ago."

"WHAT?!" Kara looked about ready to explode.

"Yeah," Barry rubbed his neck nervously. "We didn't want to get your hopes up or anything so we were going to wait but I decided to come get you because I figured you should know and now Alex will probably murder me but-"

"Open the portal." Kara barked.

"Yes, ma'am." Barry thought it wise not to get even more on Kara's bad side (if Kara even had a bad side you could get on).

Kara grabbed Lena and Winn and pulled them and Barry through the portal.

"Couldn't keep your mouth closed, huh, Scarlet Speedster," Alex teased as the four of them stepped out into Earth-1.

"Has anything changed?" Kara asked immediately.

Alex grinned. "Come here," She waved Kara into another room. A few seconds later, the older Danvers returned, a satisfied smile on her face.

"It worked?" Winn asked eagerly.

"Yep." Alex nodded.

"You couldn't have waited for us?" Lena shook her head, only slightly miffed.

Alex smirked. "I was too impatient to get your deadweight over here."

Lena raised her eyebrows but before she could say anything, Caitlin entered. Her eyes scanned the new arrivals.

"Kara's with Mon-El, I presume?"

"Correct." Alex agreed.

Caitlin grinned. "Good."

"Well," Winn muttered. "This feels super anti-climatic now."

Lena, Alex, and Caitlin all took turns smacking him.

* * *

For a while, Kara just stared. Alex had left her right inside the doorway a few minutes before but she couldn't seem to find the energy to move toward the bed.

Mon-El was staring back at her. His eyes open and alert. Trained right on her.

"Promise me something?" Mon-El rasped.

"Yeah?"

"When we get back to Earth-1, I want pizza and potstickers."

There was silence for a split second.

Then Kara laughed and Mon-El loved how it was unreserved and completely happy.

She walked over to his bed and took his hand in hers. "A man after my own heart."

Mon-El smiled as he hoisted himself up and wrapped his arms around Kara. "I love you."

Kara breathed in. "I love you."

* * *

"So what was the winning formula?" Mon-El asked. He was happily back on Earth-38, hanging out at Kara's apartment with the gang and Barry's friends.

Alex and Caitlin immediately started talking about complex molecular structures or something of that nature and after a few minutes only Winn and Lena were really listening.

"Hey, Barry?" Kara nudged the Scarlet Speedster's arm.

"Yeah?" Barry turned toward the Girl of Steel.

"Why were you here in the first place? I mean, that day on the roof? Not that I'm not grateful but it's kind of an odd place to be, on the roof of this one building, and I'm sure you had better things to do than show up on my earth."

Barry's ears turned a little pink. "Uh, we were just, you know, in the neighborhood and decided to stop by?"

Kara raised an eyebrow.

"That's maybe worse than Kara's excuses," Mon-El put in.

Cisco stepped over. "We were actually here because someone, I don't who that could be," The tech nerd jerked his thumb pointedly at Barry. "Claimed that Earth-38 had some of the best doughnuts ever so we were going to stop by to grab a few boxes."

Kara stifled a laugh; Barry ducked his head.

"Sounds like something only a true foodie would do," Mon-El observed wisely.

Cisco scoffed. "Sure. But I'm pretty sure Earth-1 is the best place for food in the entire multi-verse."

Kara shook her head. "Dream on, breacher boy."

Cisco groaned. "Hey, what did I say about the naming thing?"

"Too late," Barry sympathized. "It's already stuck."

* * *

Author's Note:

And that's it!

Thanks for the comments and for pushing me to expand my original idea; I really enjoyed it.


End file.
